Safety
The 2016 Ford Escape trails competitors in terms of both crash tests and safety features. It's rated four out of five stars overall in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests. That's the same as the Mazda CX-5, but the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 have five-star ratings. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing, the Escape received a poor rating in the small-overlap front test, and it lacks a forward collision prevention system. Competitors fared much better in IIHS testing: The CR-V, CX-5 and RAV4 all have an available forward collision prevention system and are Top Safety Pick Plus designees, representing the institute's highest honor.
The 2016 Ford Escape trails competitors in terms of both crash tests and safety features. It's rated four out of five stars overall in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests. That's the same as the Mazda CX-5, but the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 have five-star ratings. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing, the Escape received a poor rating in the small-overlap front test, and it lacks a forward collision prevention system. Competitors fared much better in IIHS testing: The CR-V, CX-5 and RAV4 all have an available forward collision prevention system and are Top Safety Pick Plus designees, representing the institute's highest honor.
A backup camera is standard on the Escape, as is the MyKey programmable key system, which helps parents encourage safe teen driving. Parents can program audio system volume limits, set a top vehicle speed and mute the stereo until all occupants are buckled in. Available safety features include a blind spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert, and front and rear parking sensors. Click here for a full list of safety features.
Value in Its Class
The 2016 Ford Escape starts at $24,485, within a few dollars of the Honda CR-V and about $1,000 less than the Toyota RAV4. The Mazda CX-5 starts much lower, at $22,675, though a manual transmission is standard on the base model. With the automatic, the CX-5 starts at $24,075 (all prices include destination).
My midlevel SE all-wheel-drive test model was missing two basic convenience features. It had a conventional keyless entry push-button remote, but no keyless access or push-button start, so I had to dig for the fob in the bottom of my bottomless purse. I could, however, punch in my code to unlock the door via Ford's door keypad setup. My test vehicle also lacked one-touch power-up windows, though they are available on some trims. Other available upscale convenience features include a foot-swipe-activated power liftgate, an automated parallel parking system and a panoramic sunroof.
The Escape impresses with its well-balanced road manners and excellent multimedia system, but it lacks many of its competitors' available safety features and stellar crash-test scores. Although I applaud the updated multimedia system for 2016, the 2017 model will bring more available safety features and, hopefully, better crash-test scores. It might be worth the wait.
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